From Proud Heritage, Volume I by DCPA, currently out of print.
William Berry Taylor was the son of William Stephen and Matilda Jones Taylor. He was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1844. His father, William Stephen Taylor, was a Colonel of the 45th South Carolina Regiment in the Mexican War. When William Berry was 11 years old, his parents died, and he and his brother, John, went to live with their neighbors, the Anders Floyds. When William Berry, better known as Bill, was still only 16 years old, he enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was in Company D of the 3rd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, Bonham’s Brigade. For most of the war, he was a courier. Bill fought valiantly for four years for the South; though he was wounded severely three times, he was never captured.
After the Civil War was over, Bill and his brother, John, decided to take their inheritance and head for southwest Missouri. They found that people were still fighting the war in Missouri; they changed their plans and headed for Texas. On the way through Indian Territory, they met a Mr. Fortner, who told them of a black-land farm on Bachman’s Branch in north Texas, which was the “best land that he had found”. He could have bought it “for a song”, but he didn’t have a “song”. Bill purposed in his heart then and there that he would find this land and try to buy it.
The Taylor boys were followed by as many as one hundred Indians on ponies for days at a time, but were not attacked. After many hardships and harrowing experiences they crossed the Red River, came through Sherman, McKinney, Plano, and finally found Bachman’s Branch. They made camp on the south side of the creek in the spring of 1866. After settling in, Bill set out to find the owner of the black-land, timbered land on which he was camping. He found that it was part of the original Dickerson Parker Survey. He rode on horseback to Palestine, Anderson County to find the heirs of Dickerson Parker. He bought 400 acres for $2.50 an acre.
The two brothers found that their nearest neighbor was the John Bachman family, whose farmhouse was just across the creek and up the hill from their camp. They got eggs and milk from the Bachmans, who would not take any payment for them. Eventually Bill met and fell in love with the lovely, brown-eyed Zuleika Bachman.
In the meantime, Bill had bought five yoke of oxen and a wagon. He drove to East Texas to buy lumber with which to build a log cabin on their land. John Taylor had become disillusioned with Texas and after the cabin was built, returned to South Carolina.
Bill courted and won Zuleika as his bride in December of 1867. After the birth of three children: Margaret, Alice and Fletcher, Bill built an imposing white colonial home for Zuleika on the hill overlooking Bachman’s Branch. Two more sons were born: William Stephen (my father), and Charles Bachman (after whom I am named). Four years later twins were born. They did not live long; and the lovely Zuleika died in childbirth at the age of 35.
Nearly 400 acres of Taylor land was acquired by the Dallas Chamber of Commerce and leased to the U. S. Government for a school. The government had the option of buying the land after the war. They named the training field and school Love Field. The land bought from Bill Taylor extended from Bachman’s Dam nearly to Lover’s Lane on the south and from Lemmon Ave. on the east to Maple Ave. on the west. The Taylors received $350.00 and $400.00 an acre for the land at that time. In 1927, the City of Dallas bought more land for $2,500.00 an acre.
After World War II the City of Dallas bought the rest of the Taylor Estate to enlarge Love Field. Today the Taylors own not a foot of their beloved land bequeathed to them by William Berry Taylor.
By Mary Charles Taylor Jacobie, Plano
